Illuminating means for matrix reference characters



April 1 R. H. TURNER Er AL 1,996,712

ILLUMINAT ING MEANS FOR MATRIX REFERENCE CHARACTERS Filed July 6, 1934 Mews? %M4L/S ATTORNEYS PatentedjApr, Z, 1935. I I, I a

1 UNITED STATES PATENT{OFFICE f 1,996,112 1 4 ILLUMINATING'MEANS' FOR MA'r Iinc, REFERENCE CHARACTERS Ransom H. Turner, Little Neck, N. Y; and Le'Ro'y 1 f W. willisyStamford, Conn; assignors to Inter type Corpoi-ation, Brooklyn, N.'Y., a corpora a l Application July 6,1934, Serial No. '1s4,o241 w V t In,GermanyAp ;4 l 9 3 f I 10 Claims. (m -2) ,Thepresent invention relates toimprovements of the matrii r, which consumes time andlis'exin meansnfor illuminating the reference charpensive. When black illledreference.characters acters or marks provided on type or type charon the natural brass surfaces of the matrices are acters bearing "matrices orvelements used ingtype' employed,"readability of the-reference characters 5 setting or matrix line composing machines ,to isrlost if the matrices a allowed to tarnish. 5

enable the compositor to read and check the Furthermore; the-artific lig u y an matter in process of composition and it relates justable electric bulb, .i ll nates the entire surmore particularly to illuminating means for the face of the reference character bearing edges of reference characters of type character bearing the matrices and also ;thet electro-plated oral?- l0 matrices employed intypographical machinesof flective -surfaces offlth v i u fi l 1 the class shown "and described in'U. S; Letters which constitute the assembling elevator of the Patent No. 436,532 granted September '16, 1890. machinaand muchjof this light is reflected back 7 Reference characters for type elements or into the eyes of the operator, resulting indimatrices are ordinarilyiprovide'd on one edge of minished visibility, of the referencecharacters such element or matrix and correspond to the and eye-strain,jthis -objection'existing whether 15 type or intaglio type casting character 'on'an the reference characters arewh ite-on a black other'edge thereof. Since the invention is 'priadjacent or surrounding l Q i black, marily applicable to the well known brass matthe natural brass surfaces of the matrices. rices'such as those commonly used. in typograph- Theprimalfy object of the present invention :is ical machines of the class disclosed in the above to -,provide1,means.;. for ,concentrating the light 20 noted patent, the invention is shown and will be directed; to the assembling elevator upon only" hereinafter described as applied to character that portionofthe surfaces ofthe matrices therebearing elements of suchform. f in'asmaybe necessary to illuminate the refer- The reference'characters are usually provided ence' characters onjthe; matrices. A further ob- V 2 5 on the front vertical edges of matrices of the ject of the invention i'sjto so arrange such light kind referred to and'they comprise light punch concentratingmeans that it ,willdirect the maxi? marks filled with a'pigment to give color contrast mum amount of light from an adjustable source 7 between it and the adjacent or surrounding areas of light onto the reference. characters on the of the matrix edges, so that the reference "char matrices at all times; the' lightgconcentrating acterswill'be clearly visible and easily readable means being 'so disposed as toavoid reflection of \30 by the compositor, an artificial light being new light into the eyes of the operator from light I ally provided above the assembling elevator of reflective: parts of thei'assemblingelevator or the machineto illuminate the matrices therein fromu-the surface I of the"light*concentrating and thus aid the compositor in reading the refmeans. a r *1" v erence character's. Both black and white pig'- In carrying out 'the'invention, itlis preferable 35 v ments havebeen employed for filling the punched to mount a light reflector on the assembling ele-- reference characters in the matrices, and when vatorin'a position to reflect'flonto the matricesan the punched reference characters" were ffilled approximately 'horizontal'beam'of light which is with a white pigment, theasurface of the matrix only slightly'wider than the height; of the refer- 40 surrounding the white 'filled character has been ence characterson the'matrices' The reflector 40 7 treated chemically to render such surface black is also preferably provided with a black; darkand therebyincrease the color contrast and the ened or, other non-reflective surface whichborreadability of the reference characters. ders a light reflecting strip ,or area thereof, the

Certain disadvantages however have been light reflecting strip 'or area. being silveredein found to exist incident to the'use of matrices the mannerf-ofa mirror,or chromium or nickel a 1 having reference charactersfilled with pigments plated and polishedjor" otherwise brightened to to contrast with the adjacent or surrounding jsurafford the 'de'sired reflective power, the darkened 'faces of the matrices] Forexample, the chemior non-reflective surrounding surface preventing cally produced black surface surrounding the reflection oflight back into theeyes of the operawhite filled reference character wears off in a -tor. The-invention further provides means for 50 comparatively short time and the white pigadjusting the reflector whereby the reflected ment filling the reference characterbecomes light beam will be'raised and lowered in condirty or darkened. This so reduces the degree of" formity with different: levels at which the; macontrastthat it is necessary frequently to clean trices may be assembledin'the assembling eleva and re-treat the" reference character bearing edge tor, the reflector being disposed to direct light from the light source away from rather than toward'the operators eyes.

To these and other ends the invention'con "sists in certain improvementsand combinations and arrangements of partsall as will be herein-l after more fully;- described, the features oft-novelty' beingpointed out more particularly in the claims at the end of this specification. I

In the accompanying drawings- Fig.1 is a section taken vertically through the" assembling elevator of a typographicalmachine and showing thesource of light for illuminating the matrices assembled therein, the assembling elevator beingprovided with-reference characterilluminating means; accordingto the present invention;

, Fig. 2 is a perspective view-on an enlarged scale, of the upper portion'of the assembling elevatoras viewed from a level above the matrices therein, showing the manner in which' the'refer ence characters of the; matricesare illuminated by the illuminating' means provided the pres ent inventiomf I Figs;3 and 4 arervertical sections throughfthe upper portion of the a'ssembling elevator, show-- ing matrices assembled atgidifiere'nt l'evels therein and the light reflecting-me ns adjusted tocorrform therewith; and v Fig. is, a top plan view, partly broken'aw'ay and section, of the right hand-end of the assembling elevator?" j 7 2 Similar parts are designated by the same refer;

' ence' charactersin the difierentffi gures.

Referring; to theaccompanying drawing, l rep resentsthe assembling elevator of a' typograph'ie cal machine of the: class showngenerally in the patent hereinbefore referred-to, this elevator be- 'ing adapted to receive character bearing matrices M: and-to assemble them in lines therein, in the usualandf'wellknown manner, and 2 rep-l resents an adjustable electric lamp" which-is mounted on :the frame of the machine above the elevator in a position to illuminate the machine a in the, vicinity of the assembling 'elevator; The

elevator is provided with the customary "means for assembling matrices at different levels therein in order to enable casts to be made from the upper or lower :intaglio type casting character 3 and was commonlyused on ordinary two letter matrices, the' elevator' being'provided forxthis purpose-with a rail 5 which-is slidable transver'sely-in'the front wall of the elevator-so that the matrices may rest upon it and thus'be supportedat an upper level as shown in Figure 4 when castsare to .be made from the'lower type fOrmingL-characters. 4, andLwhen the arail 5' is withdrawn forwardly the'matrices may rest on .the ledge 6, and'at the lower-level sothat casts may be made from; thegupper type forming characters 3 inthe-matrices; It will be understood that-the 'intaglio type formingcharacters 3 and 4 are formed in the rear edges of -.the matrices, as usual, The rail 551$; retained in 7 the assembling ;elevatorgby}a1bar 'I which overliesiit, the

bar? being suitably fixed in the elevator, The rail 5 is moved forwardly and rearwardly or in a" direction transversely of" the elevator togbring it into the operative positionshownin Figure l.

' orto withdraw it fromrsuch'positionas shown in Figure 3 by a'pair of arms 8 which are fixed to a shaft 9, the latterbeing mounted rotatably inbearings l0 on the front ofthe assembling ele- V vator, the-shaft 9 being provided with a handle ,I l for operating, it. ;A separate or supplemental rail section i2 is -provided;at the right hand end of the rail 5 or at the matrix receiving end of the elevator, this rail section l2 being also slidable transversely into and out of operative position by an arm l3 mounted rotatably on the shaft '9 and having 'a' separate hand lever M for operating it. By such an' arrangement, when'it is desired to assemble all ofthematri'ces at the 1 upper level in the assembling elevator, the rail 5 "and supplemental rail section l2 which forms a continuation'thereof, are both set in the operative position shown in Figure 4, and when it is desired to assemble matrices at the lower level in "theassembling elevator, only the rail section 12 requires withdrawal since this rail section is sufficiently wide to'allowthe matrices as they enter the assembling elevator, to drop onto the shoulder 6 whichis below the under side of the rail 5 a sufficient distance to allow the lower ears onthematrices to pass under'the rail 5 as the matrix line is assembled; I

Y According to the present invention, the top surfaceofthe bar 1 isinclined downwardly and rearwardly toward the matrix passageway'in-the elevator and a plate I5 is mounted to slide transversely or forwardly. and rearwardly on said bar, :in'undercut grooves H5 at the ends of the bar 1.

'Means is provided for sliding the plate I5 in said grooves, the means shown in thepresent instance comprising a shaft I1 mounted rotatably in bearing s 181011 the front of the elevator anda pair of levers l9 fixed on the'shaft I1 and engaging a in slots 20" formed in the plate l5 near its opposite ends,.the leverv l9 atz'the right hand end of the shaft, I! having a downwardly projecting arm 2|;which engages an open slot or recess 22in therightl hand edge of the rail section l2.

The plate. 15" constitutes the light reflecting element, and it may be of any suitable character such asv a'highly polishedmetal plate electro plated with nickel or. chromium, or this plate maybe in the, form of a mirror. carrying out the invention, it: is preferable to restrictthe area of light reflecting surface of this plate l5 which yisexposed to light rays'from the usual illuminating lamp 2, the top surface of the plate 15 being covered'for example by paint or other suitable medium which is preferably black ior of a non-light reflecting character, so that the upper,

matrices are assembled at the upper level or on the rail 5, as in Figure 4, the connection of the two armed lever 19 with the rail section l2 hav- ,ing' adjusted the plate l5 by sliding iit forwardly into the position shown in this figure, will raise the level of the light beam reflected by the plate i5to the same extent that the matrices are raised in the elevator. The concentrated beam of light therefore will always be thrown on the reference characters on the matrices, whetherthe latter are assembled at'the upperorlower level in the elevator, it being understood of course that-the reference characters of these matrices are always located at the same vertical positionvon, the front edges thereof. f a 4 It will be seen for example from Figure 2 that the concentrated beamof light from the adjust- 'of the front edges of the matrices or the areas thereof above and j below the 'referehce characters, 1 are distinctly darkftherefore no light; is reflected back inf-tothe eyes of 'theoperator from the field on" the"matricessurrounding the rec-- erence characters andno light will bereflected from the adjacent metal surfaces of 'theelevator to producea glare'in tlieeyes of thejo'perator. Moreover', the-attention of the operator is corihighly illuminated by the beam of. light of limited extentwh'ich is reflected thereon by'the restricted reflective surface of the reflector.

We claim as ourlinventio-nzj a 1. In or for a typographical composing machine having an assembler for'lines' of elements bearing type characters on one edge and reference characters corresponding therewith on another edge thereof, a source of lightfor illuminating the reference. character bearingedges of said elements, light directing meanscomprising a reflecting surface below the level of the reference characters on said elements andpositioned relatively to said elements inthe assembler to receive light from said .sourceandyreflect a portion of such light in a defined beam and thereby concentratethe illumination from'said source only on the reference characters on said ole-- ments. 7 1

2. In or, fora typographical composlngmachine having an assemblerforlinesof elements bearing type characters on one'edge and reference characters correspondingtherewith on'another edge thereof, a source of light for illuminating the reference character bearing edges of said elements, and a reflector having a reflecting surface and adjacent non-reflecting surfaces which limit the area of such reflecting surface, said reflector being positioned relatively to said assembler and source of lightto direct a beam of light from its light reflecting surface onto the reference characters on said elements and to cause its non reflecting surfaces to limit the area of said light beam to the referencecharacters'on said elements. I

.3. In 'or for a typographical machine having an assembler for lines of type character bearing elements having reference characters on an edge corresponding with the type characters they bear, a source of light, a reflector having a reflecting surface extending longitudinally of a line of the,

elements in said assembler and positioned relalight to reflect a beam of light from the latter onto the former, and light concentrating means associated with said reflector for confining the reflected light beam to the reference characters on said. elements.

4. In or for a typographical machine having an assembler for lines of type character bearing elev levels onto matrices in the elevator, and means ments having reference characters on an edge corresponding with thetype characters they bear, a source of light, and a reflector having a reflecting surface extending longitudinally of a line of the elements in said assembler and positioned relatively to such line of elements and source of light to reflect a beam of light from the latter onto the reference characters on the elements composing the line, said reflector having nonreflecting surfaces at opposite sides of said reflecting surfaceto prevent reflection f light from "said source'onto the edgesof 'sai'd element's bey'ondthe reference characters thereon.

' 7 5'. In or for a typographical machinehavingan 1 assembling elevatorhaving' means forassemblin'g therein atfdifierent levels character bearing 1: matrices *having reference characters on the edg'es"therebf-, a sourceof light" for illuminating the-reference characters on' the matrices, and: a 'reflectorpositioned relatively to the matrices in ithe elevator and the" source of "light to reflect a beam of light from the latter onto the're ference characters; on the edges of 'said' matrices, the refiectofbemg movable'in'aiflirectionto reflect the a light beam onto the edges o'f the matrices at :dif-

fernt' levels'to cohfornr with-"the different levels atwhich thema'trices maybe assembled in the elevator. V a -6. In or for a typographical machine having an assembling elevator having means for assembling therein at differential levels character bearing matrices having reference characters on the edges thereof, a source of light for illumi hating the reference characters on'the matrices,

anda reflector positioned relatively to' matrices in the'elevator and the source of light to reflect;

ence characters on the edges of said matrices,

the reflector being operatively connected to'the.

means controlling the level of assembly of the,

matrices in the elevator and movable thereby to reflect the light beam onto the reference characters on the matrices at different levels according to the level of assembly of thematrices the elevator. V V

7. In or for a typographical machinev embodyingan assembling elevator having a rail movable into different positions to control the assembling of characters bearing matrices having reference characters thereon, a'source of light for illumi- ,40 a reflector positioned relatively to a line of matrices in the elevatorand the source of-light to nating the reference characters on the matrices,

reflect a beam of light fromthe latter onto the I reference -characters on the matrices, the re flector being movable in a direction to direct su'ch'light beam'onto the-reference characters on matrices assembled at different levels inthe elevator, and means connecting said rail and re flector for coordinated simultaneous adjustment.

8. In or for a typographical machine embody ing an assembling elevator having a rail adjustable forwardly .and rearwardly to control the assembling therein at different levels type 'charac ter bearing matrices. having reference charac; ters on their frontedges, a source of light for illuminating the reference characters on the mat rices in'the elevator, a reflector mounted on the front of the elevatorin a position inclineddown- Wardly toward thematrix linereceiving portion thereof to reflect abea-m of light from said source ontothe reference characters on matrices in the elevator, the reflector being movable edgewise toward or from the 'matrix' receiving portion 'of k the elevator to reflect the light beam at different; 1

connecting'said rail and reflector for simultaneous coordinated adjustments.

9. In or for artyp'ographical machine having- 1 an assembler which holds side by side edgewise assembled relation lines of individual type.

character bearing elementseach having a refer' respectively on the other edge, a source of light,

. a reflector having a reflecting surface extending ments'."

longitudinally below the line of elements said assembler and positionedrelatively to such line of elements and source of light to reflectlight from the latter: onto, the former, andmeans associated with the reflector for defining the area --thereof exposedtothe source oflightto thereby cause thereflector to' direct a. defined bean of light toward the reference character edges of the elements and confine the beam of light to the" trated beams of light toward the line of elements referencecharacters on; the edges off'said ele- 10. In or for a typographical machine:

an assembler which holds side by side'in edgewise assembled relatio'nlines of individual type char: .acter bearingjelements each havinga reference f-ch'aracter-at the same level on one edge correis 1,996,712 7 v spondingowith the type'character they bear respectively on the other edge, a source of light, a reflector having a reflecting surface extending longitudinally below the line of elements in said assembler and positioned relatively to such line of elements and source of light to reflect light fromthe latter onto the former, and means limsource ofilight to cause reflection of a concenand confining of thearea of the reflected beam of light to the illumination of that portion only of the edge of the line of elements occupied by the reference characters. a R NsoM TURNER.

LE ROY W. ILLIS.

iting thefarea of the refle'ctorexposed to the 

